


Make lots of noise (if that's what you're into)

by rocketman10



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: College, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gay, M/M, Penelope is a jock, Slow Burn, posie (relationship)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2020-04-11 21:05:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19117693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocketman10/pseuds/rocketman10
Summary: Penelope Park is ecstatic to attend Salvatore University on a soccer scholarship. But with standoffish teammates, difficult classes, and tough workouts, she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Just as she is about to give up hope, she meets the adorable athletic training student Josie Saltzman, and all her troubles are suddenly worthwhile.





	1. Chapter 1

One  
Penelope had always hated the sound of her alarm, but on this particular Thursday morning, she welcomed its monotonous droning with open arms. It was the day her dreams of playing college soccer would finally be realized; she was attending her official visit to Salvatore University. Penelope had grown up around sports. Both of her older brothers played Division I sports- Camden had played baseball at UCLA and Felix played lacrosse at Virginia. Her cousin, Jed, was also a star athlete- he was a sophomore receiver on the Salvatore Stallions football team. Yes, athleticism truly ran in Penelope’s family. Although she had been recruited by countless schools, Penelope really had only ever wanted to attend Salvatore. It was in Virginia, so she could be close to Felix, and she also wanted to attend with Jed. More importantly, Penelope wanted to learn. Throughout high school, while she wasn’t winning championships or flirting with girls, Penelope was taking every class on Computer Programming her school had to offer. Salvatore had one of the top Computer Science programs in the country, and Penelope was ecstatic to continue her learning there, among brilliant students and wise professors.  
She slipped out of bed, flicking off the alarm and padding across the room to her dresser. She slipped into a pair of joggers and a New York soccer state champs t-shirt. She and her mother were driving down that morning and staying at the University over the weekend. Penelope grabbed her keys off the dresser and headed downstairs.

“Good morning sweetheart! Are you excited for today?” Her mom asked cheerfully.

“Yes! I can’t wait to get down there and meet the team.” Penelope had visited Salvatore before, but this was the first time she would meet the other girls in her recruiting class.

“Alright! I got you a coffee and a bagel. We should get on the road; I want to make good time before rush-hour traffic.” Penelope grabbed her coffee cup and a bagel with cream cheese as the pair headed out to Penelope’s car.

The ten-hour drive passed quickly for Penelope. She and her mother jammed out to her favorite playlist of country music, and they enjoyed the scenery around the road. Finally, they arrived at Virginia, where Penelope was dropping off her mom to visit Felix.

“Goodbye, honey! I’ll see you on Sunday when we drive back, right?”

“Yes, Mom. I’ll call you when I get to the school.”

“Alright. Say hi to Jed for me!”

“I will. I love you.” Mrs. Park took Penelope in her embrace.

“I love you too. Have fun, okay?”

“I will. Bye, Mom.”  
“Bye honey. I love you!” and with a kiss on the forehead, her mother departed, leaving Penelope to make the rest of the trip alone.

Driving into Salvatore University never got old. The gorgeous stonework, high arches, and laughing students clad in blue and gold never ceased to make Penelope’s heart flutter. She pulled her car into the parking lot outside of the student-athlete center. She exited it, grabbed her backpack, and made her way into the building. Inside, she recognized two of the assistant coaches of the team, known to her as Coach Tig and Coach Williams. 

“Penelope!” Coach Tig exclaimed in her British accent. “We are so glad you’re here! Both of our other recruits are on their way.”

“They’re great girls.” Said Coach Williams, eyeing his associate. “I’m sure you all will hit it off in no time. Ah, here they are now. Penelope Park, meet Hope Mikaelson and Elizabeth Saltzman.”

Penelope’s eyes flitted to the door, where they were met with two women strutting inside. One was tall, with platinum blonde hair that flowed down her back and murder in her eyes. The other was shorter and curvier, with auburn hair and a kind expression.

“You must be Penelope.” The shorter one said, extending her hand to shake. “I’m Hope. This is Lizzie. Nice to meet you.” Penelope shook her hand. 

“Nice to meet you too.” She then turned to Lizzie, who had made no move to shake her hand. The two had a bit of a history. Penelope’s high school soccer team had beaten Lizzie’s in the New York State Public High School Championship three years in a row. The Harrison Huskies (Penelope’s team) had been led to victory by their star midfielder, Penelope Park herself. The Woodlands Falcons (Lizzie’s team) had always had a problem with grudges, and losing three years running did not help the situation. “Lizzie. Good to see you.”

“I wish I could say the same for you, Park. Except your outfit is literally hurting my eyes.” Lizzie quipped, sweeping Penelope’s ensemble with her gaze.

“That’s funny, Lizzie. I seem to recall you almost winning this t-shirt last year. And the year before. And the year before that.” Penelope said sweetly, matching Lizzie’s hostility. “I guess you should try harder this year, because I intend to continue my championship streak.” Lizzie flushed and opened her mouth to spout a retort, but at that moment the Coach Tig cut into the conversation.

“Ladies. Let’s save that fighting spirit for the field, shall we? Speaking of, it’s about time for our tour. This is the Academic Center for Student Athletes, or ACSA, for short.” The coaches showed them the way to the practice fields, weight rooms, the “refueling station” which looked to Penelope more like a snack station, the locker room, and to the stadium.   
“It is very important that you know where you are going,” said Coach Williams, “So that when you are down here next month for preseason you aren’t late. We take tardiness very seriously, ladies. Every minute you aren’t on the field, you’ll be running. That will not make you popular with our upperclassmen. Got it?” The girls nodded. “Now. It’s getting rather late, and we have a day jam packed with activities tomorrow. We will show you to the rooms you’ll be staying in for the visit. Meet at the ACSA at 10:00 sharp tomorrow morning for our Fall Athlete Orientation.” Hope and Lizzie chatted quietly on their way to the dorms, but Penelope’s mind was spinning. She loved the school, but having Lizzie on her team? That could be a problem. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. When she picked it up, the caller I.D. read “M.G.”. She sighed, clicked the decline button, and powered her phone off for the night.


	2. Two

Two  
“Alright, ladies. On my mark. Three… two… one… go!” Penelope took off like a shot at the command sprinting after the ball that had been thrown down the field. She could feel Lizzie running right behind her. She caught up to the ball and began dribbling down the field. Both of the other midfielders were covered and she had already beaten her defender, so she continued sprinting towards the goal. Just as she brought her foot back to kick the ball towards the goalie, she got slammed from behind. Penelope was thrown to the ground, with the wind knocked out of her momentarily. Her ankle, which had been swept out from under her, was throbbing in pain. Lizzie was looming above her, a small smile on her face.

“You’ve got to work harder Penelope. I want to win a championship this year.” Lizzie smirked, as she turned on her heel and left Penelope lying on the ground.

“Park! Keep the ball on the inside of your foot! It will make you less likely to get tackled.” Coach Tig yelled to her from across the field. Penelope sighed, rolled over, pushed herself onto her feet, and limped back into the lines for the drill.

It was the final week of their preseason, which had dragged on far longer than Penelope would have liked. They had gotten down to business and had been subject to grueling practices for the past month and a half. Penelope could feel herself getting better, faster, and stronger, but having to see Lizzie every day was exhausting. She found herself desperate for classes to start so she would have some sort of reprieve. When the practice was finally over, she and Hope retreated to the locker room to take showers. She picked up her phone, which was ringing, only to shut it off once she read the contact name.

“Who was that?” Hope asked curiously, stripping off her socks and shorts.

“No one. Just a guy from my high school.” Penelope looked down, unlacing her cleats.

“Well, ‘no one’ seems to call you pretty often. Like, every day. So spill. Who is he? An enemy? An ex-BFF? A love affair gone sour?” Hope batted her eyes at the last one, making Penelope laugh.

“Not exactly. He- I- we’re complicated. We were best friends for a long time.”

“Not anymore?” Hope asked quietly. Penelope averted her eyes.

“Not anymore.” A moment of silence followed, Hope being the one to break it.

“Well, it’s Friday anyway. I’m hosting a party tonight. You should come.” Penelope considered it. She wanted to go. Her ankle said otherwise.

“Sounds fun, but my ankle kills. I’m gonna drop by the treatment center before I go back to my room. Maybe I’ll make an appearance after that.”

“Yes, Peez! Finally, I get you to come out and do something social! My room at ten. Don’t miss it.” Hope stripped off the rest of her clothing and headed into the showers. Penelope did the same, eager to scrub the dirt that Lizzie had blessed her with off of her body. She disliked the girl enough, but she couldn’t deal with Lizzie’s dirt lodged in places where the sun doesn’t shine. 

Penelope exited the shower after Hope had already left the locker room. Her other teammates were laughing and chatting, but she could barely think over the pain in her ankle. She tried to put some weight on it. 

“Ow! Fuck.” She winced and limped over to her locker to put on her change of clothes. She slipped on her Salvatore Women’s Soccer sweatshirt over a sports bra and threw on a pair of joggers. She grabbed her backpack and phone and made her way out of the soccer arena towards the student-athlete health center. She pushed open the door to the building and limped into the treatment area. Rows of training tables, mostly empty, were set up in the well-lit space. She caught sight of Landon, one of her best friends, grabbing a protein shake from the refueling station.

“Landon! Hey!” He turned around, and a grin broke out over his face when he spotted her.

“Penelope Park, as I live and breathe!” He wrapped her in a hug, lifting her off the ground slightly and setting her back down. He noticed her wince when she landed and immediately was concerned. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.” She winced again. “That bitch Lizzie got me good with a slide tackle today. Totally blindsided me.”  
“You should sit down. Here, let me help you.” He put his arm around her shoulders and helped her over to the nearest table. She lifted herself onto it, exhaling lightly as the pressure was taken off of her ankle.

“Thanks, Lan. Where are all the trainers? I haven’t seen Raf in a few days.” Landon looked slightly uncomfortable at the mention of his friend. 

“Yeah. He’s home on… family business. But there are a bunch of other students around. I’ll call one over for you. Stay put.” He jogged away, towards one of the doors on the left side of the room. Penelope laid her head back. Every muscle in her body ached. She loved soccer, but this was the most intensive training she had ever done. How would she survive? Felix and Camden had always said that sports were their favorite parts of school. But then again, they didn’t have to deal with Lizzie Saltzman, spawn of the actual devil. She heard someone approaching and opened her eyes, thinking it would be Landon. Instead, her heart momentarily stopped beating. Her eyes were graced with the sight of a girl, tallish, with brown hair, pouty lips, and a polite smile. She moved with the grace and skill of an athlete, but instead of wearing the trademark Salvatore bright blue backpack all athletes owned, she toted a small cart with medical supplies. Penelope eyed her up and down. Definitely not Landon.

“Hey. I’m Josie. Landon told me you needed some help with your ankle?” Penelope was so wrapped up in watching the girl’s mouth move that she didn’t comprehend that a response was required. Finally, she shook herself from her reverie and stuck out her hand.

“Penelope Park. And yes, I would love some help with my ankle. I got slide tackled during practice today, and now it hurts to put weight on.” Josie nodded knowingly.

“I see. Can you please remove your shoe and sock?” Penelope obliged, stripping off the shoe and sock from her right foot. 

“Usually I wait until the second date to start undressing.” Penelope joked. Josie ignored her. She put on a pair of latex gloves and placed her hands lightly on Penelope’s foot. “Let’s see. Does this hurt?” Penelope watched as Josie pulled her foot downward, so it was pointed. She winced and nodded. “Alright. How about this?” She pushed Penelope’s foot so it pointed inwards. Penelope yelped and pulled her foot away. “You’ve definitely got some swelling and bruising on the outside of the ankle. It looks like a bad sprain. I’ll wrap you up and you can come back to me tomorrow. Try to put some weight on it if you can. We want to keep the circulation going, alright?” 

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Penelope said, doing a small salute. Again, she was ignored. However, Penelope Park had never been one to give up on a challenge. Josie took out an ace bandage and foam splint and began to wrap up Penelope’s ankle. “So… Josie. You got any plans tonight?” Penelope prodded, hoping to gain more information about the mysterious girl.

“Actually, yes. I’m on call here tonight until midnight.” 

“So if I need emergency care I can call you here?” Josie nodded. 

“You’d be surprised how many student-athletes get injured on Friday nights.” Penelope laughed. 

“So I’m just the first of many, huh?” She and Josie smiled at each other. Her heart soared; she was proud of having earned a response from the girl. Josie wrapped the bandage around her foot for the final time and patted it for good measure when she was done. The action gave Penelope a warm feeling in her chest. Oh. There was something different about this girl.  
“There you go. I’ll check on it tomorrow morning. I’ll be here from seven to twelve, so just come in when you can.” Josie handed Penelope her shoe. Their hands brushed, and Penelope’s heart began pumping faster. She took the shoe, blushed, and looked away. What was wrong with her? 

“Thank you so much.” She stood up, wincing when she put weight on her ankle. She hobbled out of the treatment center, heart and mind racing, and a small smile on her face. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something about Josie that made her unbelievably excited to wake up the next morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Penelope wandered across campus towards her dorm in a daze. Her mind was so clouded by the thought of the girl she had just met that her ankle barely hurt her anymore. She swiped her keycard to open the dorm building door and ducked inside. As she walked down the hallway, she could hear pumping music and chattering voices coming from Hope’s room. She reached her own door, unlocked it, and went inside to change out of her practice clothes. It was rather cold in her dorm, so she decided on a long sleeve and leggings. After grabbing her phone and her keys, it was time to head out once more.

The atmosphere inside Hope’s dorm room was electric. Some guy was playing Top 40 Hits from a wireless speaker, but no one was dancing. Instead, people were sprawled across the couch, standing in groups talking or laughing, and playing drinking games. Hope, likely already intoxicated, waved emphatically at Penelope.

“Peez! Finally! Get your ass over here and be my beer pong partner!” Hope called to her. Penelope shook her head.

“I don’t drink, Hope.” Hope rolled her eyes.

“Spoil-sport. You throw, I’ll drink.” Penelope allowed herself to be dragged over to the makeshift beer pong table, where Landon was pouring beer into red cups. He and Lizzie were to play against her and Hope. Minutes shifted into hours as the night wore on. Penelope was terrible at beer pong- she had been cut from her high school basketball team as a freshman. So Hope got drunker and drunker, and therefore louder and louder.

“Peez, I gotta get you laid. There are tons of guys here tonight. I’m gonna set you up with one of them.” Penelope felt her face grow warm, as heads began to turn their way.

“Hope. Stop talking.” Penelope said through gritted teeth.

“No, seriously. There’s gotta be someone here that you’re into. Unless you’re above all of them, too.” Penelope blinked. What had Hope just said? “I mean, you don’t hang out with the team. This is the first party you’ve been to all year. You don’t drink. It just seems like you think you’re better than us or something.” Penelope stepped back, completely caught off guard. She knew that drunk Hope and sober Hope were two different people, but still. The words cut her deep. 

“Don’t say that to her.” Penelope heard a familiar voice from behind her, and every muscle in her body tensed. It was him. She turned around to see M.G. standing behind her. Her heart stopped at the realization. “Hey, Peez.” She couldn't bear to see him here, small smile on his face that was devastatingly familiar. She had to get out of there, right then. She pushed past him towards the door. Penelope was really red now, just desperately trying to claw her way back to the safety of her own room. He grabbed her hand, but she shook herself free and continued walking. "Peez, slow down." He smiled as he caught up to her. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

“Get away from me.” Penelope was quiet, but her face displayed the truth. She was absolutely terrified of the boy behind her.

“Penelope, wait.” M.G. followed her out of the dorm room, smile gone, grabbing her hand as she turned to walk away. “I’m sorry. Please listen to me. I’m a different person now. I swear.” 

“Get away from me, M.G.! When I told you I never wanted to see you again I meant it!” Penelope was now getting upset. She was tired and hormonal and angry and scared and just wanted to lie down and rest her ankle. M.G. tried to speak again, but before he could get the words out, she cut him off. “You promised me, M.G. You said that no one would know and then you opened up your fucking mouth. Now you’re coming around with pretty lies? Fuck that. Leave me alone.” She tried to pry her hand away to no avail.

“Penelope. You don’t mean that. We can still be friends.” She scoffed at him, anger rising in her chest.

“You ruined any chance of that in high school. As of right now, we are strangers. I don't know you and you certainly don't know me.” She turned to leave, and this time, he let her go. “Oh, and one more thing. Never call me again.” Penelope turned on her heel and left him behind. She opened the door to her room, closed it behind her, and lay down on her bed. Fuck. This was not going to end well.


	4. Chapter 4

Four

Penelope groaned at the sound of her alarm. Her head ached, her ankle throbbed, and even though she hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol she felt hungover. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched before getting up to go to the bathroom. Or at least, trying to go to the bathroom. Her ankle gave out the second she put weight on it and she crashed to the floor, spewing expletives all the while. It took her a solid ten minutes to get to the bathroom, and another ten after that to successfully get in the shower.

The cobwebs in her head eventually began to clear, as memories of the previous night came crashing back to her. M.G. was at Salvatore. Just the sight of him had filled her heart with such dread that she could barely breathe. She thought of the look on his face when she had pushed him away. Genuine hurt, like he thought she’d forgive him. Hope had texted her late into the evening asking her where she’d gone and what was wrong, but she had left all of the messages unopened. Penelope was drowning, in a sea of darkness and pain and deadlines and ex-friends. She pressed her fist into her forehead and shut her eyes, trying to think of a good thing to get her through her day. Just one good thing. That would be enough. 

Then she remembered that she was supposed to meet Josie at the treatment center that morning. That woke Penelope up. She didn’t know what time it was, but she knew it was almost the end of Josie’s shift. Penelope quickly shut off the water and limped her way out of the shower, drying herself while she checked her phone. 11:38. She had twenty-two minutes to get dressed, brush her hair, and limp down to the treatment center. Penelope moved frantically; or as frantically as one with a botched ankle can move. She dressed, threw a baseball cap on over her hair, and rushed outside, locking the door behind her. She pushed open the door to the treatment center at 11:56, scanning the room for Josie’s figure. There she was, by one of the closer tables. Penelope hobbled over, doing her best to smile despite the pain in her foot.

“Good morning, Josie. Sleep well?” Penelope attempted to throw on her most charming smile, but it came off more like a pained grimace. Josie laughed breezily and smiled back at her.

“In fact, I did. Someone in my building was throwing a big party, but I managed, I suppose.” Penelope watched the other girl carefully. She loved the way she smiled at the end of each sentence. She found the way she spoke as though each word was equally important endearing, and couldn’t take her eyes off the other girl. “How does your ankle feel this morning?” Josie asked her while helping her up onto the table.

“Somehow it feels even worse than last night. I had to crawl my way into the shower this morning.” She watched Josie’s face carefully, hoping to see the girl react. But the other girl just nodded.

“Pain in the morning is a common symptom of a severe ankle sprain. It doesn’t sound too serious. However, I’m going to have to suspend you from practices and lifts until you can pass a rehab test. If it’s too painful to walk on, I can give you a boot for the first few days.”

“If it’s just a sprain, why can’t I play through it? I’ve done that before. Just taped it up and gotten back on the field.” Josie shook her head. 

“This one is really bad. I suggest you take time to rest and let it heal. Soccer will still be there when you get back.” Josie smiled at her encouragingly, and Penelope grinned back. They met each other’s eyes for a second longer than normal. Penelope blushed and looked away. What was wrong with her? She had lost her usual suavity that she exuded when she was into someone. She was acting like an awkward, hormonal little kid. Josie cleared her throat. “Anyways… my shift is over now. I’ll just get you that boot and I’ll see you around. You should come in again tomorrow. So I can check your progress.” 

“I’ll be here.” Josie started to walk away but Penelope had another thought. “Wait, Josie, what if I have an emergency? Or a question or something? How can I contact you?” Josie shook her head slightly, as if in disbelief, before collecting herself. 

“Good point. Here. Let me give you my number.” She punched her contact information into Penelope’s phone. She put her hand of Penelope’s shoulder. Penelope suddenly found it much harder to breathe. “Now you can call me whenever. I’m always here for you, whatever you need.” She smiled, removed her hand from Penelope’s shoulder, and walked off to get the boot. When she was sure Josie couldn’t see her, Penelope did a fist pump in the air. She only hoped that Josie’s promised extended past her medical needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make the writer happy! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Five

“Peez, please come out with me tonight. Raf is back from Nevada and he and Landon are hosting a get-together for all of the student-athletes.” Hope begged as she and Penelope walked back to their dorm. It was almost eight; the pair had gotten a quick dinner right before the dining halls closed.

“Hope, I’m sorry, but I’m really not feeling up to it. My foot kills and after last night’s… fiasco I don’t think I’m ready to go out again.” Hope sighed.

“Please. Landon’s one of your best friends. If you won’t do this for me, do it for him. Plus, lots of cute soccer boys will be at the party.” Hope nudged Penelope with her elbow.  
“Fine. But only because I love Landon.” Hope grinned.

“Admit it. You love me too.” They arrived at the dorm and parted ways to get ready for the party, reconvening twenty minutes later outside the building. Hope called them an Uber, because Landon lived off campus and Penelope couldn’t walk that far. During their short, quiet ride, Penelope took out her phone, feeling bold, and drafted a message to Josie.

‘Hey. I was wondering if you wanted to come to a party with me tonight? My ankle feels pretty weak and I could use some supervision :) ’ 

She read it over, heart in her throat, and quickly tapped send. She put her phone in her jacket pocket and exited the Uber with Hope, strutting (as best she could) inside the house. Landon greeted her first, with a hug and an “I’m so glad you made it!” Before moving to greet Hope and other guests. Penelope nervously checked her phone, but there was no response from Josie. She pursed her lips, then put her phone away before moving towards the drink table. It was pretty dark inside the house, with lots of students grinding to pop music in the living room. She could barely see the labels on the bottles but selected the only non-alcoholic thing she could find- orange juice. Taking a sip, she moved to the den where several people were playing beer pong. Rafael Waithe, an Athletic Training student and basketball player, was draining shot after shot, decimating the other team. He nodded at her, smiling. His typical greeting. She decided to keep moving, before stumbling into someone in the doorway. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” She began before the figure turned around and her voice stopped working. “Josie! Hey! Did you come to supervise me?” The other girl looked perplexed.

“Supervise you? What does that mean?” Penelope felt like she was choking on her words. 

“I, um. It was a joke. I texted you?” The other girl checked her phone before laughing and returning her gaze to Penelope.

“Very funny. Do you often need supervision?” Josie joked, smiling. Penelope could feel their faces getting closer together. She struggled to form a sentence.

“I mean, I manage most of the time on my own. But sometimes it’s nice to have someone look out for you, you know?” Josie nodded earnestly. Penelope swallowed, feeling as if every nerve in her body was on fire. She kept her eyes on Josie’s lips, afraid if she let them wander she wouldn’t be able to get them back up. She felt herself leaning in, but at that second, there was a commotion from the other room. Josie pulled back, looking Penelope in the eyes, before taking her hand and walking her into the other room. There was a dance battle going on in the middle of the floor. She couldn’t tell who was dancing, but they were definitely feeling the music. It was as though they couldn’t decide if they wanted to fight or hook up. She stood in the crowd, fingers laced through Josie’s. They made eye contact. Penelope’s cheeks were flushed, and they both looked away, back towards the dancers. But neither made a move to let go.

“She’s pretty good, huh?” Josie said wistfully. “Ever since we were kids, she was always the center of attention like this. She lives for it.”

“You know her?” Penelope asked. The dancers had stopped at the end of the song, and Penelope could just then make out who they were. The devils themselves, Lizzie Saltzman and Milton Greasley. Josie nodded. 

 

“Of course I know her. Lizzie Saltzman. My twin sister.” Penelope’s heart began to beat faster. Then it stopped. M.G. and Lizzie were making out on the dance floor. Like, all over each other. She thought she was going to be sick, and Josie noticed. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Penelope was shaking.

“I… I need to get home. Where’s Hope? I… I… I’m not feeling too well.” Josie put an arm around her and got her into the den, where Hope was straddling some senior. Penelope could barely stand, she was shaking so hard. Josie said something quietly to Hope, who immediately left her hookup and ran over to Penelope.

“What happened? Oh my God, Penelope.” Hope took out her phone. “I’m getting an Uber. We’re going home right now.” Josie helped the two in, finally letting go of Penelope’s hand just before the door closed. Ten minutes later, Penelope was shivering in her bed, despite the warm weather. Hope came in with a Gatorade bottle and put it on the nightstand. She put her hand on Penelope’s shoulder.

“Peez. What’s going on? You’ve been messed up ever since that guy got on campus.” She shook her head. “What did he do to you?”

Penelope sat up and closed her eyes. Fuck. She made herself as small as possible, trying to protect herself, and began. “M.G. and I were best friends all of high school. We did everything together. I trusted him with my life.” Hope sat and listened, patiently, waiting for Penelope to continue. “But when we were seniors, his parents got divorced. He got so angry, Hope. Some days I was so afraid of him.”

“If that little shit lay a finger on you I swear to God-” Hope started to stand.

“No, he wasn’t violent. I could have kicked his ass. But he was unstable. He drank a lot. Even on the morning of our graduation.” She took a deep breath. “And he gave a speech. Class President.” She started to tear up. This was too much. “And in his speech, he told our entire school that he had seen me hooking up with a girl.” She paused and let this sink in. “Hope, I’m gay. And he outed me to the entire school. I hadn’t even told my parents.” She was fully crying now. Hope looked stunned, but then her face softened.   
“Why didn’t you tell me? Penelope, I love you no matter who you want to date.” Hope pulled her into a hug. 

“I was shunned by everyone after that. I didn’t want to tell anyone here in case it happened again.” Penelope wiped her nose on her sleeve.

“I would never shun you.” Hope lay down next to her. “You’re my best friend. And a great soccer player, injured or not.” Hope stood up. “The people here are good. You should open up to them when you’re ready. I’m here for you until then.” She patted Penelope on the shoulder and left the room. Penelope exhaled, releasing a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. God. What a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make the writer happy! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Hope was already gone when Penelope woke up the next morning. There was a note by the door saying she had left for her 8:00 am class, but "will be back with lunch". Penelope rubbed a hand over her face. Only Hope would take a class first block on a Sunday. She unplugged her phone from the wall charger and checked her messages. There was a paragraph from Hope about some new brunch place in town that Penelope skimmed. She flopped down on her bed, scrolling through Snapchat, when a message notification pinged. From Josie. 

Josie- hey. it seemed like you had a rough night last night. today will be better.

Penelope tapped the banner, heart aflutter. She watched the three little typing dots continue, then disappear. She thought for a second. Hope would be gone for a while. Perhaps she should ask Josie to coffee? She formulated the idea in her brain for a while before making a decision. 

"Why the hell not?" she thought, with a twinge of nervousness. "I haven't got anything to lose." Except Josie. Who she liked so, so much. After much effort, she crafted the perfect message.

Penelope- Thanks. Speaking of making my day better, do you want to grab some coffee this morning? I know a great spot downtown.

After waiting a few seconds for a response, Penelope shut her phone off and got in the shower. She was feeling cramped and gross after last night's debacle, and not being able to go on a walk, much less a run, was driving her up the wall. Her body ached from her head to her ankle. Even her brain was aching. Toweling off, Penelope stuck her toothbrush in her mouth and walked back into the main dorm room. She checked her phone, but there was no response from Josie yet. Shrugging off the disappointment, she put some music on and went to get dressed. She decided on plain black leggings and a Salvatore Soccer long sleeve, with one of her old high school hoodies over it. She was pulling on her shoes when her phone started buzzing on her bed.

An incoming caller: Josie Saltzman.

Penelope shakily picked up the phone, answering with a shy "Hello?"

"Hey there!" Josie's clear, pretty voice rang through the phone. Penelope could practically hear her smile. "So, basically, I just got off of my shift, and I haven't eaten yet today. And while coffee sounds great, I would kill for some chocolate chip pancakes right now. So can we raincheck coffee and go to breakfast instead? Blueman's just opened."

Penelope was grinning. She could hardly believe this. She had barely worked up the nerve to ask Josie to coffee, and this beautiful, confident girl had nonchalantly asked her to breakfast like it were the simplest thing in the world.

"That sounds great!" Penelope exclaimed. "I love Blueman's. I ate there when I came here for my official visit. I can meet you there in five."

"Perfect! It's a date." Josie said before hanging up the phone. Penelope walked into the bathroom, putting down her toothbrush. What kind of date? A friends date? Or a date-date? Should she change her outfit?

Whoa. Calm down, Peez. She thought to herself. Take a deep breath. You guys are friends. Just walk on over and have some breakfast like a normally functioning Penelope would. She grabbed her backpack and keychain before heading out the door.

.......................

The bell on the door of Blueman's jingled as Penelope pushed it open, eyes nervously scanning the small restaurant for Josie. She was seated at a corner table, and started to wave Penelope over emphatically.

"Hey you!" Josie smiled. "I was getting so hungry I was about to order without you!" She waved her menu as if for emphasis, before standing up and throwing her arms around Penelope as if they were old friends. Penelope slowly softened from her stiff position, and sat down once she was released from Josie's grip. 

"What were you going to order" Penelope asked, trying to make casual conversation and distract herself from how much she was sweating.

"Oh. I love the chocolate chip pancakes here. They serve them with dark chocolate, not that oversweet commercial junk." Josie said, closing her menu. Of course, Penelope thought. She said that over text. I'm so dumb. She looked up to see Josie staring at her expectantly.

"Um, sorry. I totally spaced. What did you say?"

Josie smiled again. God. Why did she do that so much? It made Penelope's heart do jumping jacks. "I asked what you wanted to get."

Awkward. Penelope hadn't so much as glanced at the menu. She thought fast. What had she ordered on her recruiting visit? "I think I'll have the challah French toast."

"Excellent choice! That's what my sister always gets." Josie said.

"I totally did not realize you and Lizzie were sisters." Penelope said, a little bewildered.

"Yep. Twins, actually. Fraternal, obviously." Josie sighed. "Yeah... I love that girl with all my heart, but it's hard sometimes, you know? She isn't always the most... caring."

Wow. I guess Josie's life isn't as perfect as I assumed, thought Penelope.

"Yeah, I totally get that. My brothers have made some terrible decisions, but I love them no matter what."

A young male waiter with the name "William", which was displayed on a tiny plastic tag, came over and took their orders. While Josie debated between two similar types of smoothie, Penelope glanced at her phone. She had a series of messages from Hope, to which she responded "@ bluemans. date. tell u later." She knew this would drive Hope crazy, but sent it anyway. William trotted back to the kitchen to put their orders in, and so Penelope turned her attention back to Josie.

"So how did you end up at Salvatore?" Josie asked inquisitively.

Penelope smiled. "It kind of felt like this place chose me. I got recruited by other schools, sure. But from the second I got here, I knew that this was where I was supposed to be."

Josie smiled. "That's sweet. You two are a match made in heaven."

"How about you?" Penelope asked. "What drew you here?"

Josie blushed a bit. "My um, my ex made me apply. It was senior year. We were gonna go together. That, uh, clearly didn't work out, as I got cheated on on prom night. It was with my best friend."

Penelope grimaced. "That's awful. I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, well, it's over now. Plus I learned a valuable lesson: guys are dicks." Josie grinned.

Damnit. All this stress and she's not even gay. Penelope scoffed inaudibly, embarrassed.

Josie looked downwards. "That's why I made a pact to stop dating them." Wait. What? "Oh, look! The food's here!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry I've been gone for so long lol
> 
> comments make the writer happy :)


End file.
